History
Zoltan Kodály was a Hungarian musician-educator who developed a concept of music education for use with children in Hungary. This came to be because he was very concerned with what he saw as the eroding of culture in the Hungarian young people of his day. With the political upheaval in his country, Kodály believed that the only way to preserve Hungarian culture and identity was to teach the young people the folk music and culture of their ancestors. He asserted that this education should be done in schools, based on the following philosophy:
- true musical literacy (the ability to read, write and think music) is the right of every person
- to be internalized, musical learning must begin with the child’s own natural instrument -the voice
- an early start is essential, begin training at the earliest possible moment
- the folk music of a child’s cultural heritage (the musical mother tongue) is the best material to teach the skills and concepts necessary to musical literacy
- only music of the highest artistic quality is to be used in the education of children
- music education is necessary for the development of the total person (music should be at the core of the curriculum (affective, cognitive, psychomotor)
- musical education of children rests in the hands of their instructors, therefore, they must be the best possible musician-educators
He looked at tools being used in music education in other parts of the world and chose the best for use in Hungary, including: movable do system, hands signs, rhythm syllable system, movement and a sequence for learning. He combined the use of the tools and his concepts into an approach to music education for Hungarian schools. He then found very talented teachers who developed and implemented a curriculum. It worked with unqualified success in Hungary, and now is successfully adapted for use in countries the world over.
The federal charter for the Kodály Institute of Canada (KIC) was granted in 1973. The announcement that the organization was formed was made at the First International Kodály symposium held in August 1973 n Oakland, California.
The Canadian Kodály organization was established prior to the International Kodály Society (IKS) and the Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE), both of which were chartered in 1975. In order to parallel the International Kodály Society, the name of the Canadian Kodály organization was changed to the Kodály Society of Canada in 1986.
At present there are four Branches within
the organization: British Columbia (BCKSC), Alberta (AKA), Ontario (KSO), and Nova Scotia (KSNS). Individual members
in other provinces and territories are invited to join the branch of their
choice.
Since its inauguration, the Kodaly Society of Canada has had eleven Presidents:
Gordon Kushner 1973-78
Ken Bray 1978-80
Pierre Perron 1980-84
Lois Choksy 1984-88
France David 1988-91
Ki Adams 1991-95
Amanda Montgomery 1995-99
A. Kim Eyre 1999-2004
Velvet Sulymka 2004-2008
Connie Foss More 2008-2012
Carolyn Neumann VanderBurgh 2012-
The Kodály Society of Canada is pleased to pay tribute to those who have worked tirelessly to further the work of the KSC. Our honourary members include:
Ilona Bartalus
Gyula Budai
Malcolm Bradley
Lois Choksy
Helen Creighton (D)
Mae Daly
Beatrix Finta
Gabor Finta
Katalin Forrai (D)
Edith Fowke (D)
Marta Csikos Green
Lyell Gustin
Alastair Highet
Richard Johnston (D)
Edna Knock
Gabrielle Létourneau (D)
Kaye Pottie
Sister Therese Potvin
Miklós Takács
Lászlo Vikár
Riet Vink
John Whitehead (D)